invisable tape

[m408]

Geez, I'm asking a lot of questions here. Forgive me, just trying to catch up after 30 years. How about using scotch "invisable" tape for masking? Very thin so not much paint build up on masked edges, easy to apply and can be burnised down easily to avoid seeping. Not much residue left after removal. I have tried it on some test parts and seems fine. Burnished the edges with a tooth pick. Am I missing something?

[crispy]

Whatever works! IF that does it for you then use it.

I use painters tape, although it is a bit more expensive.

You can also use:

Bare Metal Foil

Airbrush Frisket

Tamiya Tape

airbrushed masking fluid

I'm sure more will chime in.

Chris

[MrObsessive]

Ditto to what Chris said..............I use BMF or Tamiya Tape for masking and sometimes Parafilm. Go with whatever works for you.........can't hurt to test things out beforehand.

As Bo Jackson used to say......."Just do it!"

[ismaelg]

Just a word of caution: Invisible tape is usually stronger than masking tape. I used it once years ago and when I removed it, it lifted the paint below. You have to be very careful taking it out.

Thanks,

[Olle F]

Whatever works!

That pretty much sums it up. It all depends on what you are trying to do and there is no universal masking tape that works for everything. My major concerns when trying untested masking materials would be if it leaves residue, if the adhesive will lift the paint and if the material will react to the paint (could possibly dissolve, shrink, swell, bleed etc.). If not, it can be used.

One of my favorite masking materials is Bare Metal foil. It works great for masking small areas (like interior panels) and irregular surfaces (like engine bays with lots of nooks and crannies). If I have to cover a larger area, I usually use BMF around the edges and blue painter's tape for the rest. It can be tricky to get clean and crisp edges with tape only, so the BMF really helps IMO.

[Smart-Resins]

Alright Ill come in late here.I have tried many times todo two tone paint jobs using brush on masking, BMF and painters tape and all I do is gob up the edges somuch that I cant even rub them out. I need to know the best methods of creating two tone paint jobs PLEASE!! Also what is this parafilm I keep hearing about and where can one get it ect.?

[MrObsessive]

Jody, I have done my two tone paint job like the following..................

1)I primer the entire body with sandable primer such as Krylon, or other instances Tamiya primer.

2)If I'm doing a '55 Chevy in say turquoise and white the white gets painted first...............sometimes I may do the entire body in white, other times it may be just the one section in white to minimize paint incompatibilty in case the paints are of different brands.

3)Once the first color has completely dried (either by time or forced by dehydrator) I'll mask off the first color with Tamiya tape and Parafilm. Now some guys may clear coat the edges to keep the paint from seeping under.........I've never done that as with the airbrush, I just don't spray so heavy to get the buildup where it's masked off. After the second color has thoroughly dried, carefully pull the tape straight back and you shouldn't have any peel off of the color.

Tamiya tape IMO is the best to use for masking as it is of low tack and when burnished down properly can't be beat. I've never had good luck with regular masking tape as the tack quality is inconsistent and I've pulled paint away due to the adhesive being a bit much.

The Mustang's stripes you see below were done with Tamiya tape and Parafilm..................

After everything was dried, I just clearcoated it and rubbed it out later. As with anything "practice makes perfect"!

Hope this helps!

[ismaelg]

Like others have said, Tamiya tape is my favorite masking medium as well. The stripes on this car, both the big and the narrow ones, were masked and painted over the blue paint using Tamiya tape and plastic bags.

Thanks,

[Abell82]

When using clear tape as a mask. Tape the clear tape to a clean mirror or picture first,

then peel it off and use it, on the model. This will help make the tape not so sticky

and may prevent paint peel up. The tape may need to be taped to the mirror and peeled up more than once, depending on brand, original stickyness, and etc. HTH!!

[m408]

O.K. I'm convinced. On my sample, I only used one color. Thought that it was great for the clean line with no seepage. Have now tried it two tone and guess what? Lifted paint. Tried the glass/mirror option to reduce the chance of lift off. However the resultant lack of tackiness led to seepage. will go with the BMF or Tamiya.

[ScottVS]

I've used black elec. tape for years